Miners Fall to Slammers

Marion, IL - The Southern Illinois Miners out-hit the Joliet Slammers seven to five on Wednesday night at Rent One Park, but lost the game 5-2, evening the mid-week series at one game apiece as they remained three games back of a playoff spot in the Frontier League standings.

Marty Anderson (5-3) struggled with his command early, as he walked the first two batters of the game before RBI singles by Dash Winningham and Harrison Bragg made it 2-0 Slammers immediately in the first inning. Anderson (5-3) was able to get two big strikeouts to strand the bases loaded that inning, however, and in the bottom of the first inning, the Miners got within 2-1 thanks to a leadoff double by Yeltsin Gudino and an RBI single by Anthony Brocato.

In the second inning, Joliet used a leadoff hit batter as well as a throwing error on a stolen base to help score an additional run on a sacrifice fly by Winningham and make the score 3-1, but again in the bottom of the inning, the Miners got that run back, as Jarrod Watkins scored Arturo Nieto from second base on a two-out infield single up the middle. That made the score 3-2, but the Miners would not score again, as Joliet starter Matt Quintana (5-3) pitched six innings in the contest to get the win.

The closest the Miners came to tying the score was in the sixth, when Gianfranco Wawoe doubled with one out, but the next two batters made outs, and Slammers would get a leadoff walk in the next inning followed by a two-run home run by Winningham to push the lead out to 5-2.

Winningham drove in four runs in the contest and homered for the second night in a row to lead the Slammers. Both Wawoe and Nieto had two-hit games at the plate for the Miners, but it was not enough as they dropped the middle game of the series. Southern Illinois will look to bounce back in a rubber game on Thursday, August 1, against the Slammers at 6:35, with Ryan McAuliffe pitching against Joliet's Daren Osby.

The Southern Illinois Miners are the Frontier League's most-successful franchise since debuting in 2007, winning the 2012 Frontier League Championship as well as division titles in 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2016. They have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year award three times since their inception, and also set a new Frontier League attendance record in their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the box office at (618) 998-8499. For additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.